College Hosts International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day

Casper College will be hosting activities to help suicide loss survivors find comfort and gain understanding through stories of healing and hope during International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day on Saturday, Nov. 17 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The free event will feature a screening of the film “A Daughter’s Journey,” a film produced by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. According to Joanne Theobald, director of counseling at Casper College, the documentary follows Sarah, a young adult, through her story of milestones, family, coping, and positive growth after the loss of her father. “This film shares hope, connection, and resilience in the aftermath of a suicide loss,” noted Theobald.

The day will begin at 10:30 a.m. with community booths. At 11, the documentary will be screened and refreshments served. The event will end at noon with a free drawing for a Surface Go and other prizes. All events will take place in the Chapman Lobby on the second floor of the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center.

An act of Congress in 1999 created Survivor Day and since then has been sponsored and supported by the AFSP. In 2017 there were over 380 locally organized events held throughout the U.S. and around the world. For many loss survivors, attending a Survivor Day event is an opportunity to discover that they are not alone in their experience of losing someone they know and love to suicide.

The event is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Casper, Central Wyoming Counseling Center, Drew’s Decision, the AFSP, and Casper College. The Nolte Gateway Center is located on the Casper College campus.